Did the 49ers catch a break for once?
Rest differential is a term San Francisco 49ers fans are well aware of. Let’s begin with the term itself. Rest differential is the amount of rest each team has heading into their respective matchups. For example, if a team plays a Thursday night game heading into next week’s matchup on Sunday, they would have ten days between matchups. The 49ers have had no such luck the last two seasons. Not only did the 49ers have the third-worst rest differential, but the team also traveled the most miles of any NFL team.
So what about 2025 for the 49ers? Well, there is good news on the way.
Following a season of minus 22 rest differential, the 49ers have a plus nine day rest differential in 2025.
Thanks to Guy Haberman, who fearlessly crunched the numbers from the schedule release, the 49ers have a positive rest differential and face no teams off the bye week.
While the 49ers have six of their first nine games on the road, it should comfort 49ers fans that Seattle and Los Angeles are on the same coast and a stone’s throw from Santa Clara.
On top of that, the Thursday Night Football game in SoFi Stadium gives the 49ers ample time to prepare for an East Coast trip to Tampa Bay. The 49ers lose rest following their Monday Night Football matchup with Carolina at Levi’s Stadium before traveling to Cleveland in late November.
The biggest rest discrepancy is in Week 17, facing the Chicago Bears, where the Bears gain a two-day rest advantage. The bye week comes in at Week 15, which is late, but the 49ers could benefit from the late bye week for the final stretch run and into the playoffs.
The upstart Tennessee Titans will face the 49ers off their bye week. Seven days is the largest rest discrepancy for the 49ers in 2025. Ultimately, the 49ers have a nine-day rest differential, and that only stands to help the team, combined with the strength of schedule.
More good news? Eight of the 49ers’ final ten opponents are coming off a road game.
How many wins will the 49ers have in 2025? Let us know in the comments!